Turbine or impact-engine.



E. ANDERSON. TURBINI" 0R IMPACT ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 30| I9II;. RENEWED DEC. 5, I9I1. 1 ,271,825, Patented July 9, 1918.

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ATTORN EY WITNESSES E. ANDERSON.

TURBINE 0R IMPACT ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED 00130, 191x. RENEwED DEC. 5,1917.

l ,27 1,825 La Patented July 9, 1918.

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EMIL ANDERSON, 0E NEW YORK, N. Y., .A-SSIG-NOR TO THE UNIVERSAL TURBINE COM- PANY, 0F JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CRPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

TURBINE 0R IMPACT-ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1918.

Application filed October 30, 1911, Serial No. 657,451. Renewed December 5, 1917. Serial No. 205,671.

Impact-Engines, ofwhich the following isY a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to turbine or rotary impact engines and its object is to cause theV development of an increased drivingA power or impetus in the motive iiuid by a novel method whereby a higher efliciency fis attained. Furthern'lore, the principle employed in attaining such increased efficiency is here embodied in a manner not to impair the initial working value of the motive fluid but, on the contrary, to assist'the fiuid in its action throughout.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in central transverse section through an engine embodying my invention and constructed to be operated in accordance with its novel method.

Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1, Athe section being through the center of VJthe latter ligure.

Fig. 3 yis a transverse sectional View. through the buckets of the impelling wheell and the stationary abutments throughwhich the motive fluid is admitted thereto, said View corresponding to a development o f a plane through the center of the'buckets.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, partial longitudinal view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1, showing certain of the fluid passages in detail.

The engine here shown as one embodiment of my invention is of the single stage type,

wherein the motive fluid acts successively or v in a progressive manner upon the rotor or impelling wheel. In general, it comprises a suitable casing composed of a body portion 2O and the end heads 21-21 inclosing the rotor or impelling wheel 22 which is mounted on a central shaft 25. This shaft is j our' naled on oppositely arranged ball-bearings 26-26, complemental ball races therefor being arranged respectively on the shaft 25 and in the hangers 27-27 secured on the end plates 21-21 respectively. Within the hanger 27 at the left hand side of the engine, suitable ball-bearings 2929 on opposite sides of a collar 29 which is aliixed to .the shaft 25, are arranged to oppose end thrust of the shaft in each direc-tion. The engagement of the central bearing flange of the impelling wheel with the end plates secures said wheel against any sidewise movement. 3030 are stufling box bushings litted between the end plates and the shaft and arranged to yleave inner packing spaces 31-31 around the shaft between them and the end plates.

The rotor comprises a central hub member 22 on the periphery of which is secured by keys 32, a central annular member 33 and outer annular members 34 and 35. The adjacent faces of these members are recessed to form between them two parallel sided annular grooves 36 and 37. The sides of these members which are thus recessed to form the sides of these grooves are also constructed.

with the buckets on the outer members op? posite one another, but with the buckets on the central member offset from those onthe outer members, and form the rotor ring-of the apparatus. The buckets thus `formed in the central member extend out to the periphery of this member, but. those on the outer members although extending to the same distance from the axis of the shaft are shorter, and portions 39 of these members extend inward to the annular grooves Sti-37.

The inner periphery 40 of the casing has a cylindrical bore of substantially the same diameter as that of the rotor ring. At equal distances about this periphery it is cut away and arranged to receive three stationary heads 41, the greater portions of which form continuations of the bore of the lining. Secured to these heads and projecting inwardly therefrom into the grooves 36-37 are stationary abutment plates 42-43,two from each of the heads 41. The rear end ofneach lof these plates forms an edge 44 inclined "a pop'erv vnderstanding Vof this embodiment at lan angle to the direction of rotatioiifof the rotor ring and to thecdges ol the buckets 4therein.V The front vof each plate is a lradial sides of the plate conedge 45 formed by the The, function ,Of

verging toward a center.

these abutment plates is the sanie ineachinl stanceV and therefore it will be sufficient for to vexplain 'the operation with regard to one of said heads and its attached abutment plates.

. Each lof the heads 41 is provided with a Huid inlet 4G which communicates with an 'expansion nozzle 47 through whichmotive 'further expanded.

'fluid-'is-directcd atan angle to the periphery of the rotor ring. By means of the throttle valves V48 the 'nozzles 'are conveniently controlled vto regulate the volume of themotive fluid supplied. The *motive fluid introduced through the nozzle 47 passes directly to the 'that the motive fluidv willpass from the buckets in the ring 33 through openings 49 in the plates142-48, tlirough which it is These openings are preferably positioned adjacent to the nozzle "impelling wheel as will be readily and are arranged obliquely through the plates, s that the motive fluid is directed againstfthe forward walls of the opposed bucletsrespectively inthe rings 34 'and 35, thus'p'roducing afurther impulse upon the understood. yIn the position of the parts shown yiIrFig. 3 the motive fluid 'willpass thence through lateral recesses 5 0 lprovided in the the buckets in the ringsl respectively in advance of those vin line vwith ythe obliqtie openings 50, tlfe shape of the recesses vbeing such to redirectthe vmotivefliiid against the walls of the buckets inthe rings 34-"35 upon which it 'will now act expansively, and thereafter ythe 'motive fluidwillpassin front ofthe edges 45 of the plates to the 'grooves 36-37 in advance of the plates.; A 'In 4the passage 'ofthe flu id 'thri'igh the "grooves in advance of the plates Z.L2-A3, the

fluid willV travel with the inipelling wheelY but-fat a greater speed than thewheel, and

V'by its-engagement with the frwa'rd walls of the buckets will impart furtherycnergy thereto. y s has been poin'tedout, the bucle etsin thejadjacentrings are varranged in a "staggered relation', the Inotive 'fluid isa zig-'zag path which'. i "tends to 'increase the 'impellin'g effect of the- 'so' that this passage for motive fluid upon the rotor ring as the fluid (passes around the engine. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the fluid after itlias expended the greater portion ofits energy will vpass 'from 'saidy grooves (assisted by the inclination ofthe rear edges 44 of the next pair of plates 42-43) to either side of the rotor through exhaust outlets 51 .formed in the 'heads 41 which conduct the fluid to the exhaust chambers 52 fromrwhence .it 4passes through the usual exhaust outlets 58-58.

This invention includes. the introduction and. admxture of a .comparatively heavy Vflui'd,"such'as water, into and with the motive fluid which is preferably steam under pressure. This, by reason of its greater weight increases the momentum of the driving fluid and has vother attendant advantages which 1 will set forth. 'Y

.Asimple .way of accomplishing these results is clearly shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4`of 'the drawings. From these it may be seen that holes 54 arezdrilled through the plates 42. and 43- near the front 'edges 45 Vthereof preferablyV parallel with these edges and ywith the sides of the plates. Supply pipes 55 are Vconnected with these holes and slits 5G are cut through the edges 45 vinto the holes 54. Y Y

Between the edges 45 of the stationary plates and the exhaust Vpassages 5 1, the periphery of the lining 4() vis shown cutaway at 57 on a curvel of comparatively small radius. A similar 'oclet' cut in a slightly larger radiusand o 'larger sizeis shown at 58, and a still .larger pocket cutv on a larger radius at 59.v Beyond this poclet and at the beginningof the exhaust chamber 51 anthcr water supply pipe 60'inay be provided. It

is to Ybe understood that rthis arrangement of pockets and water pipe is to be duplicated between each-inlet nozzle and its respective exhaust. .Y

The opera-tion of this part ofthe apparatus is as follows: Then motive fluid, such as steam, is passing throu'gh the nozzles 47, impact vloladesx42-43 and the annular zigzagchannels between the members ofthe rotorring, and a heavier fluid such' as 'water is admitted to these cliannels'througli the slits 56,v the two `fluids become mixed andr pass vthrough the channels together. The effect of the heavier 'liquid is "to increase .the momentum of 'the impellinglmediuni. Another efect: if steam 'and water 'are 'used is that some condensation takes place which increases tlie velocity ofthe fluid. More over, vI-,have found that wet steam has more efficiency in carrying 'the moving parts of the apparatus along with it than doesY dry 51362111,

There vis of` course* a tendencyY of# the Vheavier particles to be driven outwardly by centrifugal force and seme of them will 'therefore'enter the pockets 57%581-59 The curvature of these pockets will redirect such particles down into the grooves 3(3-37 and the buckets 3S.' These pockets are of progressivelylarger size to provide for the expansion of the fiuid as it passes through the engine.

If the pipes 60 are used cold water may be introduced through them near the point of exhaust. kThis will cause condensation and a consequent drop in pressure which will tend to increase the velocity of the steam through the engine and to utilize it to the fullest extent, thereby further increasing the efficiency of the apparatus.

Obviously this same method of condensing the steam may be used in other forms of engine than that shown herein.

What I claim is:

l. A rotary impactengine having a casing, a rotor within the casing arranged therewith to provide a substantially annular working passage for the motive fluid, stationary means for dividing said passage into a plurality of circumferential passages, means for introducing steam into said passages at a given point on the periphery, and other means in advance thereof for commingling a jet of water with the steam flowing through said passages.

2. A rotary impactengine having a casing, a rotor within the casing arranged therewith to provide a substantially annular working passage for the motive fluid, stationary means for dividing said working passage into a plurality of circumferential passages, said casing being constructed to form a peripheral pocket having a curved face adapted to direct back into one of said circumferential passages such of the motive iuid as is thrown outward therefrom by centrifugal force, and inlet and exhaust passages for the motive fluid.

3. A rotary impact engine having a casing, a rotor within the casing arranged therewith to provide a. substantially annular working passage for the motive fluid, stationary means for dividing said working passage into a plurality of circumferential passages, said rotor being provided with radially disposed depressions offset from one another to thereby make the side walls of said passage tortuous, said casing being constructed to form a plurality of peripheral pockets of successively increasing size, said pockets having curved faces adapted to direct back into said circumferential passage such of the motive fluids as are thrown outward therefrom by centrifugal force, and inlet and exhaust passages for the motive fluid.

4. A rotary impact engine having a casing, a rotor within the casing arranged therewith to provide a substantially annular working passage for the motive fluid, means for introducing the motive fluid into said passage, other means in advance thereof for introducing a heavier fluid into the passage, said casing being constructed to form a peripheral pocket having a curved face adapted to direct back into said passage such of they iuid as is thrown outward'by centrifugal force, and means for leading exhaust fluids from said passage.

of said passage tortuous, said casing being constructed to form a plurality of peripheral pockets of successively increasing size, said pockets having curved faces adapted to direct back into said passage such of the fluids as are thrown outward by centrifugal force, the casing being also constructed to form an exhaust passage, and a water inlet pipe near such exhaust passage.

6. In a rotary impact engine, a casing having a cylindrical bore, a rotor comprising three rings recessed to form annular channels between them, the adjacent faces of said rings being provided with depressions forming radially disposed buckets, a pair of stationary plates each projecting into and inclosing a part of one of said channels, said plates having their sides converging to a reduced front edge, the edge of each plate being cut to form a slit, and means for passing a fluid heavier than the motive fluid into the channels through said slits, means for admitting motive fluid through the casing into the channels back of said slits, the back of said plate being arranged at an angle to the buckets to deflect the motive fluid outward, the casing being constructed to form an exhaust passage.

7. In a rotary impact engine, a casing having a cylindrical bore, a rotor comprising three rings recessed to form annular channels between them, the adjacent faces of said rings being provided with depressions forming radially disposed buckets, a pair of stationary plates each projecting into and inclosing a part of one of said channels, said plates having transverse oblique openings therethrough and having their sides converging to a reduced front edge, the edge of each plate being cut to form a slit, and means for passing a fluid heavier than the motive fluid into the channels through said slits, means for admitting motive fluid through the casing into the channels back of said slits, the openings through the plates being arranged to .constitute a passage through which the motive iuid will pass from the buckets in one of the 

